Kinetoplastids are microscopic flagellated protozoans. They may not look like much, but these parasites are responsible for diseases that affect millions of people worldwide including Leishmaniasis, Sleeping Sickness, and Chagas Disease. Despite their role in global health concerns, however, effective drug treatments for these parasites are lacking.
While different parasites are responsible for each of these conditions and they are transmitted by different vectors, the cellular and molecular biology of Kinetoplastids are quite similar. Taking advantage of this, an international team of scientists has developed three new anti-parasitic compound groups to combat these devastating microorganisms.
By screening nearly 2 million compounds against the three target kinetoplastids, the team was able to identify those with potential anti-parasitic effects.
They then characterized these molecules’ chemical and physiological properties and grouped them by their potential use for each disease. This resulted in three final groups of compounds – roughly 200 for each parasite – to be further tested.
These new compound groups represent novel chemicals for potential starting points in drug discovery for anti-parasitic agents. Likewise, functional analyses suggested a wide range of modes-of-action against kinetoplastids, including targeting kinases, proteases, and cytochromes.
These compounds – which have been made publicly available and are provided as an open resource to researchers – set the stage for future research into effective treatment options to fight these devastating – but neglected – diseases.